


Paint The Town Blu

by artificialalexandria



Category: RuPaul's Drag Race RPF
Genre: Canon Compliant, Fluff, M/M, RPDR UK, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-15
Updated: 2019-12-14
Packaged: 2020-12-17 05:19:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21048947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/artificialalexandria/pseuds/artificialalexandria
Summary: Blu comes to RPDR UK ready to win the crown. That is, until meeting Crystal, whose tendency to use a whip on the runway makes Blu want to be tied down to a bed and fucked roughly.





	1. Chapter 1

After entering the workroom, Blu was feeling pretty confident about himself. Not only did he consider himself one of the best performers in Belfast, but now he’d made it onto the first ever season of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK. His large amount of Instagram followers before getting cast gave him even more of a confidence boost for the competition. He couldn’t wait to go home with the crown.

The little queen was a ball full of energy and was doing an Irish jig by the time Divina De Campo finished his entrance. Blue couldn’t contain his excitement. The next queen to walk in was Crystal, and Blu was immediately entranced by him. Blu’s plan when coming to the competition was to focus solely on winning. However, just as when Vanjie first saw Brooke Lynn on season eleven of the American version of the show, Blu was falling hard. He hadn’t even seen Crystal out of drag yet and was already wanting to marry him.

Blu was snapped out of his trance by RuPaul telling the queens their first mini challenge. They had to use a green screen to create a photo of them doing something comical with their severed heads. Blu thought it would be hilarious if his photo featured him kicking his head. He was having fun, and he found it amusing that RuPaul thought his voice sounded like Cher.

“I’m Cher’s decapitated head, bitch,” Blu said, which made RuPaul laugh loudly.

After the photoshoot, Blu headed back to the workroom to wait for the results so he could strip out of drag. Crystal hadn’t done the photoshoot yet, so Blu was left alone thinking about him while he waited on the photoshoot to be over.

Scaredy Kat won the mini challenge, but that didn’t bother Blu at all. He knew he couldn’t win everything. Plus, he thought Scaredy Kat’s mini challenge had been really funny. Blu was stoked when RuPaul informed them that they’d be doing two runways for the first episode. It was reminiscent of the first episode of season nine of the American show, except they had to dress as the queen of England rather than Lady Gaga. Blu couldn’t wait to show off his hometown and his favorite Queen Elizabeth II looks. The other queens seemed nervous to do two looks, but not Blu. Blu was loving every second of it.

As everyone was de-dragging, Vinegar Strokes entertained Blu with his fake breasts. He asked Blu to come and feel them, to which Blu immediately rushed over to grab them. Blu forgot about Crystal, but only for a moment. Blu quickly moved over to the mirror with everyone else so he could join in on the group conversation. Blu ended up at the opposite end of the counter from Crystal, so he had to suffer not being able to talk to his new crush. 

Although Blu didn’t get to talk to Crystal before the runway, he did get to see Crystal’s hometown look, which he was intrigued by. It was a long baby blue tulle gown that had the phrase “3 day bender” on the front. Blu appreciated that his crush was wearing the color blue even though it meant nothing. Blu also loved that Crystal’s wig was made completely out of strings of pearls. It was quite fascinating to him.

Blu, on the other hand, wore nothing blue this time around. Instead, she wore black and yellow, the colors of H&W. She made sure to mention in her commentary that the company helped build the Titanic and that his father and grandfather worked on it as well. He strutted elegantly down the runway despite being dressed in a tight mermaid gown that had two crane arms on the shoulders.

Next up was the Queen Elizabeth runway. Blu was once again entranced by Crystal when he saw him in Queen Elizabeth’s military uniform. Watching Crystal walk around holding a whip made Blu’s mind run wild with fantasies. He was also impressed by Crystal’s attention to detail with the outfit. Everything, while more sparkly than the original, looked exactly like the outfit the queen wore herself.

Blu wore a bronze dress that was covered in coins for his look. He was inspired by Queen Elizabeth’s image on the pound. He hoped the judges would love it and that his two outfits together would get him to the next week. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to move on to be around Crystal longer or to continue in the competition.

Since Crystal had been called safe first, Blu immediately smiled when his own name was called to be safe. Blu was stoked that they might finally get to speak to each other in Untucked. Although they didn’t sit on the same couch, they were right next to each other. Blu could feel his heart pounding in his chest.

“How are you feeling?” Crystal asked when the cameras were gone.

“Great, glad to be safe,” Blu said. “I love your outfits by the way.”

“Thank you,” Crystal smiled. “You weren’t half bad yourself.”

“Thanks,” Blu laughed. Before the conversation could continue any further, the other queens made their way into the lounge. Blu got lost in his thoughts and paid no attention to the others.

~~~

“Hello again,” Blu said to Crystal as Crystal climbed into the van next to him.

“Are you glad we’re done for the day?” Crystal asked.

“Yes,” Blu sighed in relief. “I’m ready to get back to the hotel and relax.”

“You can hang out in my room for a while if you like,” Crystal shrugged as if it were no big deal.

Blu’s breath nearly caught in his throat. “I would love that.”

“Great,” Crystal smiled. “Sounds like a plan.”

Blu’s heart raced. Not only had he finally gotten a chance to speak with his crush, but they were going to hang out in his room. Alone.

~~~

“I’ve always heard the production staff were really strict,” Blu said as they walked into Crystal’s room. “I didn’t know we were allowed to see each other than in the workroom.”

Crystal laughed. “We’ve all been played.”

“At least I know I don’t have to sit in my room alone and stare at the walls all the time,” Blu said.

“You can watch the tele,” Crystal informed him, still laughing.

“Oh yeah,” Blu giggled. “I guess you’re right.”

“It will be nice to be able to hang out with the others,” Crystal said. “That way we won’t go mad while we’re locked away in here.”

“Why me?” Blu asked. “Why did you ask me to hang out with you?”

“Don’t act like you haven’t been staring me down all day,” Crystal smiled.

“I’ve gone and botched it already, haven’t I?” Blu laughed. “I’ve been more focused on one of my fellow competitors than the competition itself.”

“I don’t mind at all,” Crystal shrugged.

“Well, I’m quite knackered after two runways,” Blu stood up, his face bright red. “I’ll see you in the morning. Maybe we can hang out again sometime.”

“Wait,” Crystal grabbed his arm. “What’s your name out of drag?”

“Joshua,” Blu said. “But you can just call me Josh.”

“I like it,” Crystal smiled and nodded. “My name is Colin, but you can call me Colin.”

Blu laughed. “I like yours as well. I’m off to bed. I’ll see you in the morning,  _ Colin _ .”

“Yes,” Crystal said. “I’ll see you then.”


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning in the workroom, The Vivienne was tasked with lining people up by who she thought to be strong competitors and weak competitors. Blu felt pretty good about where he’d be. He thought he and Crystal would be on top.

Crystal made it into the top group, but Blu was closer to the bottom. Blu was a little frustrated, especially because it was all a ploy to decide who the second team captain would be. However, he was excited for their first acting challenge. They all had to star in a drag version of Downton Abbey.

Blu was picked to be on Scaredy Kat’s team, and he crossed his fingers hard that Scaredy Kat would pick Crystal too. Although he wasn’t picked, Crystal ended up on their team by default because he was the last person standing. Blu knew Crystal would be cheesed off about it, but Blu didn’t mind at all.

When RuPaul came over, he implied that he thinks Blu is forgettable, which threw Blu off. Blu tried to convince RuPaul that he was really going to pull it out this week and land in the top, but RuPaul wasn’t buying it for a second. He felt like he might be getting in his head a little thanks to RuPaul’s comments towards him.

“I’m nervous,” Blu said to the rest of his group. The pressure of the competition was finally hitting him.

~~~

While the other team filmed their scene, Blu and Crystal took some time to talk. They were sitting at the mirror together as they got into drag.

“Are you okay?” Crystal asked. 

“I don’t know,” Blu sighed. “I’m finally realizing how hard this competition will be. I wasn’t expecting it and now I’m worried.”

Crystal gently rubbed Blu’s back. “I think you’ll be fine. You’ve got this role down, so just kill it during filming.”

“Thanks,” Blu smiled.

“Hey,” Crystal said. “By the way, I wouldn’t mind hanging out with you again tonight.”

“Oh,” Blu blushed and looked away. “I think that might be nice.”

“Good,” Crystal smiled as he put on his wig. “Let’s go kill this scene so we have a chance to hang out for a few more days.”

~~~

Blu didn’t have much of a role in the challenge, which both worried him and relieved him. She didn’t have many lines to mess up, but he also didn’t have much of a chance to stand out either. Unfortunately, some of his lines flew out of his brain in the middle of filming. He managed to somewhat screw up the few lines he did have. Judging from Michelle’s comments to Crystal, Blu was worried they might end up in the bottom together.

~~~

“Do you feel alright about everything?” Crystal asked once they were back in Crystal’s room.

“Not really,” Blu sighed. “I feel shit. I couldn’t remember any lines.”

“I’m sorry,” Crystal pulled him into a hug. “I wish I could help.”

“This is helping,” Blu said, laying his head against Crystal’s chest.

“Blu- I mean Josh,” Crystal said. “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure,” Blu looked up at him.

“Do you like me?” Crystal asked.

Blu blushed. “Yes. Why do you ask?”

“I think I like you too,” Crystal admitted.

“Oh,” Blu smiled and looked away.

Crystal cupped Blu’s face in his hands and turned his head back to face him. Blu’s heart raced as they stared into each other’s eyes. Crystal leaned into slowly until finally their lips met. Blu felt electricity between them immediately.

“Oh wow,” Blu said after they pulled away.

“I know,” Crystal smiled. “I didn’t expect it to feel like that.”

“Me either,” Blue said. “Can we do it again?”

Crystal chuckled and pulled Blu into another kiss. As their lips moved roughly against each other, Blu threw his leg over Crystal and positioned himself on the other man’s lap. Crystal grabbed Blu’s hips and Blu put his arms around Crystal’s neck. After a few minutes, Blu finally pulled away.

“I should go,” Blu said. “Can we continue this tomorrow?”

“Sure,” Crystal pressed one last kiss against Blu’s lips.

Blu got up and headed to the door. He felt like his whole body was on fire. He needed to stay in the competition so he could spend more time alone with Crystal.

~~~

Sum Ting Wong seemed nervous the next morning, so Blu sat down with him to talk about it. They both felt pretty bad about their performances, so Blu was wondering how RuPaul was going to decide the bottom two. He wasn’t sure if it would be based on the losing team or if everyone would be judged individually. As they headed back to their workstations, Cheryl seemed confused by their conversation.

“To be honest,” Cheryl said. “I feel good.”

“What do you honestly think of me?” Blu asked.

“Blu, I’m not gonna lie,” Cheryl turned to her. “I can see you were a nervous wreck, and like… did you not hear me being like ‘breathe, breathe.’?”

“Why don’t you tell her how you really feel, girl?” Vivienne laughed from her spot at the mirror.

“If you can’t be honest with your friends...” Cheryl held her hands up.

“I think you’re a little bitch, actually,” Vivienne said. “A mean little horrible little bitch.”

Blu tuned them out and focused on getting into drag.

~~~

When they were lined up to go on the runway, Blu saw Crystal with a whip again and it made him squirm a little. Blu started to wonder if it was just a coincidence or if Crystal was actually kinky. Either way, Blu couldn’t wait to find out. That is, if he survived the challenge.

Blu’s runway look was a dominatrix type bodysuit featuring three breasts. He hoped it would be interesting enough for the judges to keep her out of the bottom. He got nervous once they started watching their scenes. Theirs wasn’t nearly as good as the other team. Blu felt like she might faint. As expected, they were the losing team. Unfortunately, they were being judged as a group which meant Blu could be lip syncing against someone in her group, possibly even Crystal.

The judges told Blu she got lost and they forgot her. She explained that she felt alone in the workroom being the only one from Ireland. They told her that she just needed to open up. Little did they know, Crystal was the only person who had bothered to really connect with her, and that was more than friendly.

As soon as they got into the Untucked lounge, tears began to flow from Blu’s eyes. She was feeling extremely homesick despite her closeness to Crystal.

“I just feel really overwhelmed,” Blu explained to the group. “I just miss everyone at home.”

“Can I say something to you?” Crystal spoke up. “You said on the main stage that you felt really isolated and like you were an outsider. Can I just let you know I think we’re all feeling that way?”

“I just feel like I’m alone,” Blu sniffled, struggling to breathe. “I feel really boring.”

The others hugged him and toasted to him. That made him feel much better, especially what Crystal said to him. He felt like if he stayed that he could get better.

Back on the main stage, everyone was safe except for Blu and Scaredy Kat. Blu didn’t want to go home, but he didn’t know how hard he was willing to fight to stay. He was just glad he didn’t have to lip sync against Crystal. Blu did his best and fought until the end. Thankfully, he was safe and got to stay for another episode.

~~~

“I’m proud of you, Blu,” Crystal said, closing his hotel room door behind them. “I’ve never seen a better lip sync here in the UK.”

“Thank you,” Blu giggled. “I’m glad I didn’t have to lip sync against you. That would’ve been awful.”

Crystal sat down on the bed and pulled Blu into his lap. “I’m sorry that you feel so alone here. I hope you don’t feel that way when you’re with me.”

“I don’t,” Blu assured him. “Not at all. You make me feel some comfort.”

“Good,” Crystal lightly pressed his lips against Blu’s neck. “Do you feel better now?”

“Yes,” Blu turned around and straddled the taller man’s lap. “All I care about in this moment is you.”

“You’re no longer shy around me?” Crystal asked.

Blu shook his head. “No. Tonight showed me that I am not guaranteed to make it any further, so I must take what I want now.”

“And what is it that you want, Josh?” Crystal asked.

“You,” Blu pressed their lips together. “I want to get to know you in the most intimate way.”

“I would like that,” Crystal whispered against his lips. “I’ve been thinking about it since last night.”

“No more talking then,” Blu said.

Crystal flipped them over so that Blu was laying on his back and Crystal was hovering over him. Crystal reconnected their lips once more. Blu trailed his hands down from Crystal’s neck to the bottom of his shirt. He pulled it up and over Crystal’s head. Crystal moved down to kiss Blu’s neck. Blu squirmed underneath him as he gently bit down on his neck.

Blu reached down to unbutton Crystal’s trousers, but Crystal pulled his hands away.

“You have more clothes on than I do,” Crystal laughed. “Let me undress you first.”

“Sorry,” Blu giggled. “I got a little excited.”

Crystal pulled Blu’s shirt off and then his pants. He sat up and ran his hand slowly down Blu’s chest. Blu shivered as Crystal’s hand reached the top of his boxers. He wanted nothing in the world more than he wanted Crystal to touch him.

“Are you sure this is what you want?” Crystal asked.

“Very much so,” Blu hooked his fingers in Crystal’s pants. “Now get out of your trousers.”

Crystal did as he was told and slipped out of his pants. He brushed his fingers across the front of Blu’s boxers. Blu bit his lip and tried to stay still. Crystal reached his hand inside and started stroking Blu’s dick, which was already hard for him.

“Fuck,” Blu leaned his head back and closed his eyes.

“Is it that good?” Crystal laughed. 

“It’s been a long time,” Blu took a deep breath. “And I’ve been wanting you for days.”

Without another word, Crystal took Blu’s boxers off and replaced his hand with his mouth. Blu moaned as he felt Crystal’s warm mouth around him. Crystal lightly scraped his nails down Blu’s thighs as he continued sucking him.

“Colin,” Blu moaned. “That feels fucking amazing.”

“Do you want more?” Crystal asked. “Or would you rather I just make you cum like this?”

“I want all of you,” Blu said. “I might not have another chance to do this with you, so I want everything.”

“Alright,” Crystal smiled and took off his own boxers.

“Do you have lube?” Blu asked. “And a condom?”

“Yes,” Crystal reached into the drawer of his nightstand and pulled out the aforementioned items. “I brought them just in case I met someone I wanted to have sex with. I’m glad I brought them because I did meet someone.”

“Amazing,” Blu laughed. “Well get to it.”

Crystal moved up Blu’s body and kissed him deeply. Blu wrapped his arms around Crystal’s neck, never wanting to let him go. Crystal reached one hand down and started stroking Blu’s dick, which made Blu moan against his lips.

“Please,” Blu begged. “I want to feel you inside of me.”

Crystal ripped open the condom and slipped it on his dick. He squirted lube onto his finger and pushed it into Blu’s hole.

“Mmm,” Blu hummed, pressing his fingers into Crystals neck.

Crystal added a second finger, fingering him until he was satisfied that Blu was ready. He lubed up his dick and pushed slowly into Blu. Blu moaned loudly, which only encouraged Crystal to keep going. Once Blu adjusted to him, Crystal started thrusting hard and fast. Blu pulled him into a kiss, trying to keep himself quiet as Crystal pounded him. Crystal took Blu’s dick in his hand, stroking the smaller man as he continued to thrust into him. With a shrill moan, Blu came on Crystal’s hand and his own stomach.

“Fuck, Josh,” Crystal moaned. “That was fucking hot.”

“Let me help you finish,” Blu said as Crystal pulled out of him. “I want to suck you off.”

Crystal nodded and removed the condom, tossing it into the trash. He lay down and Blu positioned himself between Crystal’s legs. Blu wasted no time lowering his mouth onto Crystal’s dick. He bobbed his head up and down skillfully. Crystal tangled his fingers in Blu’s hair and pulled on it gently. A minute or so later, Crystal was shooting cum down Blu's throat.

"Wow," Blu said once he pulled away. "That was great."

"I know," Crystal took a deep breath. "I hope we both survive the next episode so that we can do it again."

Blu laughed and lay down beside Crystal. "Me too."

"Do you want to stay here with me?" Crystal asked.

"I would love nothing more," Blu smiled and kissed Crystal softly.

"Wonderful," Crystal wrapped his arms around Blu. "Goodnight, Josh."

"Goodnight, Colin," Blu yawned. Soon they were both fast asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**** After surviving the lip sync and getting fucked by his crush, Blu felt amazing. He was rejuvenated and ready to fight for the crown. Everyone could tell he was feeling better, and Vivienne even pointed it out in the workroom.

For their mini challenge, they were told they would have to dance around the maypole. They were given only fifteen minutes to get into quick drag. Blu knew they were going to pull out some wild looks in fifteen minutes, but he didn’t care because he was excited to still be in the competition. Blu threw on some quick makeup and got into a brown skirt and corset, which was the first drag outfit he ever owned. He was really getting into his character, acting like a weird peasant, making faces and stomping around. He wanted to make it as funny as possible so that RuPaul would pick him to win.

Blu watched as the other queens danced. He tried to think of what he would do when it was his turn. Crystal took pole dancing literally and jumped on the pole when it was his turn, Blu laughed because when Crystal was hanging upside down, he could see one of Crystal’s balls. Blu just kinda flopped around erratically when it was his turn. He didn’t want to be a good dancer, he just wanted to be funny.

Blu ended up standing beside Crystal as they waited on the winner of the mini challenge to be announced, which made him really happy. Cheryl won, but that didn’t bother Blu at all. He was just ecstatic to still be in the competition and be there with Crystal. RuPaul called for the Brit Crew, and out came Raven sitting on the hood of a car. The car was full of materials for them to make an outfit out of. Because he won the mini challenge, Cheryl was given a fifteen second head start.

Once the materials were gathered, Blu sat down on the floor with Cheryl. Cheryl pointed out the Blu was making trousers, and they talked about design and sewing skills. Blu was prepared to sew his way to the top, and Cheryl was prepared to do the same but with hot glue.

Blu was nervous to talk to RuPaul alone. They joked around together and Blu was happy that she managed to make RuPaul laugh. She mentioned to RuPaul that she usually wears a pantsuit as her go to silhouette, but that she thought it was overdone. She quickly threw in a “no offense” due to the face that RuPaul was wearing a suit. Despite that comment, RuPaul told Blu that she couldn’t wait to see what she came up with. Blu felt like the conversation went really well.

~~~

That night, Crystal and Blu went to Crystal’s room to hang out again.

“So,” Crystal said. “We’re both still here. How do you feel about what you’re making for tomorrow?”

“I feel good,” Blu sat down beside Crystal on the bed. “I’m really confident in what I’m doing.”

“I do as well,” Crystal put an arm around Blu. “I’m glad you’re feeling better.”

“I can thank you for that,” Blu laughed. “You helped a lot.”

“Oh, did I?” Crystal asked.

“You did,” Blu smiled up at her.

“And that was with my dick, I suppose?” Crystal asked, laughing.

Blu burst out laughing. “Not just that, but yes.”

“It was really nice,” Crystal smiled. “I like you a lot, Josh.”

“I feel the same way about you,” Blu said.

“I have a question then,” Crystal took a deep breath.

“What is it?” Blu asked.

“Maybe it’s too soon, but I’ll ask anyway,” Crystal said. “Would you like to be my boyfriend?”

“I would love nothing more,” Blu pressed his lips against Crystal’s.

“What happens if one of us goes home?” Crystal asked. Blu hadn’t even considered the possibility of one of them going before the other, or even going home at all. 

Blu shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess we figure that out when we get there.”

“That’s fair,” Crystal nodded. “Hopefully we don’t have to.”

“Let’s just focus on us right now,” Blu lay his head on Crystal’s shoulder. “What do you want to do?”

“We could just cuddle and watch a movie,” Crystal suggested.

“I like that idea,” Blu scooted back on the bed and sat up against the headboard.

Crystal joined her, sitting beside her. She grabbed the remote from the nightstand and turned on the television. Then, she wrapped her arms around Blu and pulled her close. They watched movies until they fell asleep.

~~~

The next morning, Blu sat at the mirror and talked to Divina as they put their makeup on/ Blu asked Divina about when he started drag. In her true secretly shady way, Blu said that Divina started drag in the 1800s. He even asked if drag was easier now than it was when Divina started, to which Divina said it is because the internet is a big thing now whereas when Divina started, it was still in it’s baby years. Blu’s shady side came out again and he joked that Divina had no idea what he was doing as far as knowing how to do drag.

Blu’s outfit was purple and gold, made from metallic foil curtains and some fabrics he found. Their was a purple body suit with purple foil curtains on it and yellow and purple pants. He felt amazing in the outfit, loving how expensive it made him feel. Crystal’s outfit made Blu think of a Greek goddess, so he loved it. It was a white and brown dress made out of a material that reminded him of a couch or a lampshade.

Blu and Baga were the only two that were safe, which made Blu nervous for Crystal. He wasn’t sure whether the judges would love Crystal’s outfit or hate it.

In the Untucked lounge, Blu expressed to Baga that he felt he should've been in the top. Baga was just happy to be safe. Not long after, the top and bottom queens arrived. Crystal sat next to Blu, which made Blu happy. He'd missed his boyfriend when they were in the workroom. Although they didn't talk, the closeness was enough for him.

Vinegar and SumTingWong lip synced, neither of which Blu was surprised by. They both did their best, but Vinegar ended up being sent home. Blu was a little sad, but he knew it was Vinegar's time to go.

~~~

"You were amazing tonight," Blu told Crystal as they sat on Crystal's bed once again. 

"So were you," Crystal smiled. "I thought you should've been in the top."

"So did I," Blu sighed. "I guess the judges were seeing something in the other contestants that we couldn't."

Crystal nodded. "I guess so."

“I’m so glad I met you,” Blu said. “The competition wouldn’t be the same without you.”

“And I wouldn’t be the same without you,” Crystal pressed her lips against Blu’s.

"I really hope we stay together after this," Blu said against Crystal's lips. "I don't ever want to be without you."

"We're not Branjie," Crystal laughed. "I think we'll be just fine. I hope so anyway."

“That would be nice,” Blu smiled.

Crystal wrapped an arm around Blu’s waist. “Then we will see how it goes.”


	4. Chapter 4

**** As they all sat at the table the next morning, Blu announced he would win the next challenge. Everyone then started attacking Cheryl for being in the bottom three again. He tried to defend himself, but he could hardly get a word in. RuPaul came out and announced they'd be doing Snatch Game this week. There was a little fuss in the workroom because Baga and Divina both wanted to do Margaret Thatcher. Blu wasn’t sure who would do it better, so he just watched rather than getting in the middle of it. Crystal, however, was right in the middle, smiling as he watched it all go down and occasionally throwing in a comment. Eventually, they got the situation settled and Divina decided to do Julia Child instead.

Blu sat down at his workstation as RuPaul entered the room with Alan Carr. He didn’t know what RuPaul and Alan would think of her decision to be Mary Berry. Once they started talking, RuPaul seemed to think Blu was in trouble. He was worried that Blu wouldn’t be funny compared to some of the comedy queens in the room. Blue began to get a little worried about it himself.

Crystal decided to do Blanche from The Golden Girls. He felt a lot more comfortable with his upcoming performance than Blu did, but RuPaul was not feeling his choice either. Blu watched and listened as RuPaul did everything he could to convince Crystal that he would fail at this challenge. RuPaul had given him a hard time too, but he hadn’t pushed as hard as he was pushing Crystal. As RuPaul left Crystal’s station, Blu sighed and turned his attention back to his work.

While talking to SumTingWong, Blu discovered he was planning to do either Nigella Lawson or David Attenborough. Blu didn’t like the idea of him doing Nigella Lawson because they would both be doing food puns, and Blu was already feeling iffy about his character, so he didn’t want SumTingWong’s jokes to overshadow his.

~~~

“I feel great about how Snatch Game went,” Blu said to Crystal, smiling brightly. “You were great too.”

“I don’t know about great for myself,” Crystal shrugged. “But you were amazing.”

“I just hope Mary won’t find it offensive,” Blu laughed. “I just said whatever I could to make RuPaul laugh.”

“That’s honestly the whole point of Snatch Game,” Crystal said. “You’ll be fine as long as your runway is good. You shouldn’t worry at all.”

“I’m not sure you have anything to worry about either,” Blu kissed Crystal’s cheek. “Whether anyone else thinks so or not, I thought you were funny.”

Crystal wrapped his arms around Blu and lay his head on the smaller man’s shoulder. “You’re the best, you know that, right? I don’t know how I could stand the pressure of this competition without you.”

“I feel the same way,” Blu said. “I get really scared and emotional sometimes, but you always make me feel better.”

“I can’t wait until we take this relationship to the real world,” Crystal sighed. “We can do so much more once we’re out of here.”

“I can’t wait either,” Blu smiled. “There are so many places I would love to go with you.”

“I have places I want to go with you too,” Crystal said, trying to fight off a yawn. “Maybe we should go to bed now. I’m exhausted from failing to be funny, and I need rest so I can sell this runway look tomorrow.”

Blu couldn’t help but giggle. “Okay, love.”

~~~

Blu’s outfit was eyeball themed. He had a foam headpiece that resembled an eyelid and his makeup resembled an eyeball. The fabric he used for the outfit was transparent and he put red beads on fringe on it. The boots were the same colors as the outfit. Blu was feeling much better about his runway than he did about his snatch game performance, and he hoped that would be enough to keep him in the competition. Not that he was worried that he wasn’t funny, he was just worried that some might have found it to be out of character for Mary Berry.

When RuPaul called his name and said that he was a liar, for a second he thought he was going home. Then, RuPaul started praising him, he thought maybe he had won the challenge. After 30 very confusing seconds, RuPaul announced that Blu and Cheryl were safe. The two of them happily left the stage. Blu waited nervously in the Untucked lounge to hear what the judges said to Crystal.

As everyone sat down, Crystal squeezed in next to Blu. Blu immediately noticed how sad and worried Crystal looked, so she knew it probably didn’t go very well. Crystal was very quiet, letting Divina speak for them about who would be lip syncing. However, once he was asked how he felt, Crystal finally spoke up.

“It is what it is,” Crystal said, putting one arm around Blu and the other on the back of the couch so that it wouldn’t be obvious. “My snatch game stunk.”

“You look fucking brilliant,” Baga said.

“I think you looked good in the Snatch Game too and got laughs,” Blu said to his boyfriend.

Blu got lost in all of the noise of everyone talking over each other, and the subject got changed to SumTingWong’s runway look.

Back on the runway, Blu’s heart ached as he waited to find out who would be lip syncing. He hoped it wouldn’t be Crystal, but he knew it probably would be. Baga and Vivienne both won the challenge, and Blu was both surprised and happy for them, which made him feel a bit better temporarily. RuPaul built up the suspense by making it seem as if any of the bottom three could be safe, and it made Blu feel faint. He just wanted to know if his boyfriend could be packing up tonight. Finally, RuPaul announced that Divina was safe. Blu’s heart broke and he was so worried about Crystal. He wasn’t ready to be without him yet. However, the upbeat rhythm of the song made Blu want to dance. He couldn’t resist even though he was sad.

SumTingWong was somewhat of a mess and Crystal was killing it. Blu hoped that meant that Crystal would be staying. He watched closely, taking in the judges reactions. They were laughing, but he couldn’t tell who they were laughing at.

The lip sync finally ended and Blu felt as if he could hardly breathe. All he needed to be released from this fear was a name. He needed to know who was going home.

“Crystal,” RuPaul turned to look at her. “Shantay, you stay.”

Blu breathed out, not even realizing until that moment that he had been holding his breath. He wondered if this was how Crystal felt when he was in the bottom two before. Crystal and SumTingWong hugged for a few moments before Crystal joined the rest of the queens at the back of the stage. Blu couldn’t wait to get back to the hotel.

~~~

As soon as they got back to the workroom, Blu pulled Crystal into a tight hug. Crystal hugged back and kissed the top of Blu’s head. Blu rested his head on his boyfriend’s chest, a few tears falling from his head. Crystal heard him sniffle a bit and looked down at him.

“What’s wrong?” Crystal asked softly.

Blu looked up at him with sad eyes. “I was so scared you might go home. I wouldn’t know how to function here without you.”

“It’s okay now,” Crystal held Blu’s face to his chest, rubbing his back with his other hand. “I’m still here.”

~~~

Blu fell asleep almost immediately once they were back in the hotel room. He barely made it through the ride back. Crystal was sure he would have to carry Blu back to his room, but he somehow managed to stay away long enough to walk there himself.

Crystal, however, was wide awake. He sat on the edge of the bed, trying to figure out how his high streak in the competition had suddenly turned into him being in the bottom two. He had spent the whole competition worrying more about Blu’s performance than his own because he was so confident in himself. Now he worried it wasn’t Blu that was in trouble anymore. He decided that dwelling on it would just cause him to derail completely and get sent home in the next challenge, so he climbed into bed and wrapped his arms around Blu. The smaller man instinctively lay his head on Crystal’s chest, and Crystal kissed his forehead. Soon, Crystal was able to fall asleep.


	5. Chapter 5

**** Blu and Crystal sat next to each other at the workroom table the next morning. Blu wondered if they might be making their relationship too obvious to the other queens, but Blu appreciated Crystal’s company regardless.

RuPaul entered the room soon after, and Blu was curious to find out what the next challenge would be. RuPaul told them that they would be reading for their mini challenge. Blu had forgotten for a moment that mini challenges existed, but he was excited for this one.

Baga said that Blu was the child of Casper the Ghost and a rent boy, and Blu thought he might have laughed if he had any idea what a rent boy was. It was later explained to him that a rent boy was a male prostitute and he loved the joke, but in that moment he was just very confused. Cheryl’s read was much more straightforward and easy for Blu to understand. He loved it as it was very true that he was only pretending to be the sweet and innocent one.

When it was Crystal’s turn to read everyone, Blu knew Crystal was going to read him, but he wasn’t quite sure what he would say. Either way, he knew it would be funny.

“And Blu,” Crystal gestured towards him. “In the immortal words of Madonna, I loathe hydrangeas.”

Everyone laughed and Blu couldn’t help but laugh with them.

“Next up,” RuPaul said. “Sweet little innocent Blu Hydrangea.”

Blu made his way over to where RuPaul was standing, ready to read them all.

“Cheryl Hole,” Blu said. “We know your biggest drag inspiration is Alyssa Edwards. You’ve got the dancing, the outrageous personality, the overbite, and the backrolls!”

All the queens loved that one, even Cheryl. He looked at Baga and shot off his next read.

“Baga Chipz,” Blu said in a sassy tone. “I’ve got one makeup tip for you.” He pulled a paper bag out of his jacket pocket and walked over, trying and somewhat failing to put it on Baga’s head. “In the words of Baga Chipz, much betta!”

The group laughed even harder at that read. Blu quite enjoyed it himself. He found reading to be very fun.

“My prop may not have worked,” Blu laughed. “But the joke still did.”

Crystal won the mini challenge, and Blu was proud of him. Blu loved Crystal’s reads. RuPaul told them that they would be split into two girl groups for this week’s challenge. Blu really hoped that he would end up on a team with Crystal again. RuPaul informed them they’d be writing their own lyrics and creating their own choreography. Blu wasn’t exactly sure how to feel about that, but he hoped he would be fine.

Because Crystal won the mini challenge, he would be picking the teams. That made Blu more confident that he would be on Crystal’s team. Crystal decided to take Cheryl and Vivienne for his team. Blu was a bit disappointed but he figured there was a reason Crystal didn’t pick him.

As they sat down to talk as a team, Blu heard Crystal say he picked his team because of their strengths. Blu wished he could be on a team with his boyfriend, but he respected that Crystal was thinking about doing well in the challenge. Once he started talking to his own team, he felt pretty confident that they would do just as well if not better than Crystal’s team. He knew needed to get his head in the game and out of Crystal’s ass, and this was a good chance to do so.

“Why do you think Crystal chose Vivienne and Cheryl?” Divina asked Blu and Baga.

“Because Vivienne is a singer, Cheryl is a dancer,” Baga said. “And Crystal can’t do either.”

Blu couldn’t help but laugh. He adored Crystal, but he had to admit that Baga was right. 

“And I’m not gonna lie,” Baga continued. “I think she kicked herself in the-”

“Yeah, I think she’s gonna be overshadowed,” Blu nodded.

“They’re gonna overshadow her,” Baga agreed. Blu began to worry a bit that Crystal might end up in the bottom again.

~~~

Blu’s team was second to record their song. They all wore head wraps, which was their way of showing everyone that they were a team. Baga was asked to read his lyrics out loud, and when he got to the part where he moaned, everyone laughed, including Baga himself. Then, Baga actually sang her lyrics. Blu was quite impressed with Baga’s voice.

It was Blu’s turn to sing next. When asked how music experience she has, Blu got a little nervous after admitting she only ever sang in the shower. However, everyone was surprised to find out that Blu isn’t a bad singer at all. They were impressed by Divina as well.

Next, it was time to practice choreography.Blu’s team was second again. They not only had a lot of fun, but they all felt like the choreography was simple yet effective.

Back in the workroom, they decided to make their own matching costumes. They sat at a table that was directly across from the other team, who started a conversation with them immediately. Blu had his eyes on Crystal the whole time, and Cheryl seemed to notice, looking from Blu to Crystal with a confused look on his face. The others still didn’t know about their relationship yet, and it was getting harder for the two of them to hide it. The two teams continued to shadily ask how each other’s rehearsals went. The tension was high and everyone was firing off comments at each other left and right. The conversation didn’t change Blu’s confidence in his team. He knew that the other team was going to have a hard time and his seemed very prepared for the challenge.

“To be honest, I can’t picture you guys working together,” Crystal said, making everyone in Blu’s team look at him in shock. He had been relatively quiet during the whole shadefest until now. “Good luck.”

“Same to you,” Divina shot back.

“And don’t…” Cheryl started, purposely leaving the phrase open for the other team to answer.

“Don’t frock it up,” Blu said and everyone laughed. “May the best girl group win.”

~~~

“I know I ask this every time we see each other,” Blu said. “But how are you feeling about the challenge?”

“Honestly,” Crystal took a deep breath. “I’m very worried.”

“Why?” Blu moved closer to him on the bed.

“I can’t sing,” Crystal sighed. “And I definitely can’t dance. I took the rap part because I thought that would be easier than singing, but I flopped at that too.”

“I’m sorry, baby,” Blu hugged his boyfriend in an attempt to comfort him. “I doubt you’ll go home. You’ve been doing so well.”

“Except for last week,” Crystal pointed out. “If I’m in the bottom two weeks in a row, I’m going home for sure. This is the top six.”

“I really hope you won’t be,” Blu sighed, laying his head on Crystal’s shoulder. “I know I’ll only be here for a few more episodes anyway, but I don’t want those episodes to be without you.”

“I know, love,” Crystal fidgeted with his pants legs. “I’m not ready to go home. I’m a little scared of what will happen to our relationship once we leave here.”

“Nothing is going to happen to our relationship,” Blu cupped Crystal’s cheek and turned his head towards his. “Colin, I think you’re the most wonderful man in the world. The thought of being here without you breaks my heart, and I can’t wait for this competition to be over so that we can start this relationship for real. It’s one thing to be with someone in here, but to be together in real life is another thing entirely. I can’t wait to experience that with you.”

Crystal smiled and wiped tears from his cheek. “You make me so happy. And as Baby said in Dirty Dancing: I’m scared of walking out of this room and never feeling the rest of my whole life the way I feel when I’m with you.”

Blu pressed his lips against Crystal’s, telling him everything he couldn’t say with words. Blu knew it would be far too early to say so, but he was pretty damn sure he loved Crystal. He’d never felt this strongly about anyone before. As they continued to kiss, Blu snaked his arms around Crystal’s neck.

“Everything is going to be alright,” Crystal said softly. “Even if I go home tomorrow, just know I’ll be waiting for you when you’re done here. I’ll write my number down for you and we can talk as soon as you leave.”

“Please don’t give up,” Blu moved one hand to his cheek, rubbing his thumb back and forth across it. “Give it everything you’ve got and fight to stay here. Do it for me.”

“I will, I promise,” Crystal kissed Blu gently.

~~~

At the mirror the next morning, Crystal and Blu started an important conversation about being bullied in school for being gay. They told their stories and Crystal mentioned how that can affect people emotionally. Divina shared his story as well, telling everyone how hard school was for him. He had even experienced things like having drinks thrown on him. However, he also mentioned that working in schools he has seen that the kids today have a completely different attitude towards the LGBT community and that he was happy to know that kids like him won’t have the same struggles he did. Blu said that all his insecurities came from how people treated him in high school. Crystal chimed in and said that drag is great because it gives people a chance to escape all of the bullying and insecurity. Everyone went to the runway feeling a little bit better about the world.

~~~

Blu and his team sat in the workroom, watching Crystal’s team on a television. Blu took a deep breath as they were about to start. He was very nervous for Crystal, and he was almost afraid to watch him perform. He had no idea that they would be watching each other’s performances, which usually doesn’t happen on regular seasons of RuPaul’s Drag Race. The only times he could remember teams watching each other was on a few seasons of All Stars.

“Crystal’s timing is so off,” Blu whispered to himself with a sigh. For Blu, watching Crystal dance was like not being able to look away from a car crash. It was terrible, but he couldn’t stop watching. Not only was his timing off, but Crystal was also stiff and awkward. Finally, it was over and it was Blu’s team’s turn to perform.

Blu had a lot of fun performing, and from what he could tell, his team did amazing. Their outfits and hair were cohesive, so they looked better than the other team as well as performed better.

~~~

Crystal’s runway look was covered in bows, much like the race horses the runway theme was inspired by. The fabric of the outfit was covered in roses, which reminded Blu of wallpaper or an old couch. However, Blu absolutely loved the look. He thought it was very pretty. Crystal even had a flask with the same rose print on it.

Blu’s runway look was much more elaborate. He wore a blue pant suit that was stoned from the top of his ridiculously tall shoulder pieces down to his toes. On top of his head was a headpiece that looked like the head of a horse. He even had some rhinestones on his chest to match the ones on his outfit.

No one was safe this time since there were only six of them left. There were three tops and three bottoms. During critiques, Blu realized that Crystal wasn’t the only one on his team that flopped. Crystal’s entire team flopped. They liked Cheryl the most of the three in that group, but there were even things about him that the judges didn’t like. As Blu expected, they liked Crystal’s runway, but they didn’t like his performance at all. They didn’t have very good teamwork, and Crystal’s dancing looked like the inflatable man at a car dealership.

Blu’s team got an overall more positive reaction from the judges. They liked both the runways and the group performance. Blu was given a similar critique to Cheryl as he was told he showed a side of himself that the judges had never seen before. Jade Thirwall said that they were all equal and no one outshine anyone else, which is how girl groups are supposed to be. Not only did they like his performance, but Michelle loved his lyrics as well. The judges had nothing negative to say about Baga, and the only thing they didn’t like about Divina was that he needed more warm tones in his makeup. Blu knew there was no way they wouldn’t win the challenge.

In the Untucked lounge, Vivienne was the first one to break down and talk about his critiques. As usual, Crystal sat quietly and waited for his turn to speak. He wasn’t one to ever speak over someone else. Finally, Cheryl asked Crystal how he was feeling. Crystal took a deep breath, not able to find the words to give a response. Once he started getting the words together, Cheryl started off on some tangent about girl groups. Crystal was very frustrated that he didn’t get a chance to speak despite being asked to share his feelings. Eventually, Divina asked him why he was so emotional at that moment.

“I worked really hard,” Crystal said, fighting back tears. “So I think what this is, is just… feeling like your best isn’t good enough. It sucks to work so hard and try so hard and then wompwomp.”

Vivienne chimed in and pointed out that he and Crystal were the only two of the six queens to get a negative critique. He said that it made him feel like everything he’d done throughout the competition was just thrown out the window. After that, everyone got up and moved over to Vivienne for a group hug. Crystal was the only one who didn’t bother standing up.

~~~

As they waited backstage, Blu pulled Crystal off to the side. He wanted to say a few final things in case Crystal went home. He didn’t know if he’d see Crystal again before he left if he were eliminated.

“There’s just something I really want to say to you before we go back out there,” Blu said, facing Crystal and holding his hands in his own. “If you go home, there might not be another chance to say it for a while.”

“Okay,” Crystal nodded. “What is it?”

“The way I feel about you…” Blu paused for a second to gather his thoughts. “I’ve never felt this way about anyone before. I’ve never really believed in love at first sight or anything like that, but I know there’s something about you that feels different that anyone I’ve ever dated.”

“I wish were weren’t in front of all these people right now,” Crystal said. “I would kiss you right now if we weren’t.”

Blu smiled. “You can later if you win this lip sync.”

Crystal pulled Blu into a hug. “Thank you for everything. I couldn’t have made it this far without you, and if I make it through this lip sync, that’s because of you too.”

“You made it this far on your own,” Blu looked up at him as they pulled away. “Don’t ever doubt your abilities as a drag performer. You got cast and made it to top six through your own talents.”

“You’re right,” Crystal nodded. “And so did you. I’m proud of you.”

“I’m proud of you too,” Blu said with a smile.

Before they had a chance to say anything else to each other, they were ushered out onto the stage. Blu’s whole team won the challenge, and it was the first time three individual competitors had won a challenge on RuPaul’s Drag Race. Blu was ecstatic because it was his first challenge win of the season. Divina and Baga pulled him into a hug in celebration of their win.

Cheryl ended up being the safe one from the other team, which surprised no one. That meant that Vivienne and Crystal would have to lip sync. Blu was sad that Crystal could be going home, but he had known it was coming. Being that Crystal lip synced last week as well and Vivienne had never been in the bottom, Blu had a sinking feeling that Crystal would be the one to go no matter how he performed in the lip sync. The others were dancing in the background yet again, but not Blu. Not this time. He knew what the end result would be.

RuPaul called Vivenne’s name to stay, and Blu’s heart shattered. He expected this, but it hadn’t really hit him until it was real. All he wanted RuPaul to change his mind and keep both of him, but Blu knew that wasn’t going to happen.None of them were allowed to see Crystal before he left, but they did allow Blu to give one of the production assistants a letter with his phone number and they promised they would give it to Crystal. Blu was able to keep his emotions together long enough to get from the stage back to the workroom.

Blu diverted to the bathroom instead of heading to the workroom, and he broke down as soon as the door closed behind him. He leaned over the bathroom sink, sobbing. He didn’t know how he would continue on in the competition without Crystal.


	6. Chapter 6

Crystal was rushed into the workroom to pack his things before the other queens would be allowed in. As he was packing, a production assistant handed him a letter. He knew it must be from Blu.

_ I know you said you'd write your number, but I wasn't sure if they'd let you give me anything, so I wrote mine instead. I figured since on the American version of the show, the eliminated queens get letters from the others, they'd allow it. I miss you so much already. Let's make plans to see each other as soon as I get home. _

_ -Blu (Josh) _

At the bottom, under Blu's name was a phone number. Crystal made a mental note to himself to add it to his contacts as soon as he got his phone back. He stuffed the note in the front of his suitcase and finished packing. He was then hurried out of the room by the production staff. As they made their way down the hall, he could hear someone crying when they passed the bathroom. He figured it must be Blu, but he knew there was no way he’d be allowed to stop and comfort him.

Once they got to the van, he was given his phone. He pulled Blu’s letter out of his suitcase and typed his number into his contacts before throwing the letter back in the suitcase and putting it into the back seat. He got in the front seat and took a deep breath. Crystal wasn’t sure how long until Blu would be home, but he hoped the time would pass by quickly so he could see him again.

~~~

Eventually, a production assistant discovered Blu in the bathroom and led him back to the workroom. The other queens were there waiting for him. He hoped they wouldn’t be able to see that he’d been crying. Blu put on a brave face and entered the workroom with the others. He tried his best to show no emotion at all towards Crystal being gone.

Everyone seemed to be too busy debating Divina’s skill level to care about Crystal. That made things easier for Blu because he wasn’t forced to think about it. The queens splintered off into groups to get out of drag, and Blu ended up standing with Divina and Cheryl.

“To me, you’re one of the top girls,” Blu told Divina.

“Yeah,” Divina said. “Well I don’t everyone else sees me that way, do they?”

“Well, that’s something you need to address when feel the time is right,” Cheryl stepped in. “Cause I feel like everything is very tension-filled at the moment and conversations could go a direction they shouldn’t.”

“I think in a way that they should, actually,” Divina huffed, not seeing that Vivienne was making his way over to them. “If you don’t have a high opinion of my drag, fucking say it.”

“What’s going on?” Vivienne asked.

“Hi,” Divina said as he appeared in front of them.

“How are we?” Vivienne asked, giving Divina a one-armed hug.

“I’m alright,” Divina answered, despite the whole conversation they’d just had.

“Are you okay?” Vivienne asked, not convinced.

“Yeah, I am,” Divina said as they pulled away from each other. “I’m just always last on the list with you.”

“Huh?”

“Because you discounted me,” Divina explained. “You didn’t think I had any like-”

Once the conversation got to the point where Blu could no longer understand what they were saying because they kept talking over one another, he stopped listening.

“Well, that conversation just scalped me,” Blu laughed, snatching his own wig off as he headed to his work station.

~~~

Blu managed to keep it together until he made it back to his room. It was the first time since the first episode that would be spending the night in his own hotel room. He didn’t know how he could possibly sleep or even function without Crystal beside him. He didn’t want to go home next because he really wanted the crown, but he also wanted to be back in the real world with Crystal.

He sat on the edge of his bed and sighed. Blu didn’t know what to do, but he did know that Crystal would want him to do his best in the competition. He decided he would suck it up until he was home. By then, he would be able to see Crystal and everything would be fine.

Blu didn’t get very much sleep at all that night, and he knew that was going to affect him the next day.

~~~

The next morning, Blu walked into the workroom with Baga. They had become good friends over the course of the competition. As they walked in, they did a hand game similar to Patty Cake, and it made both of them laugh. Blu took Baga’s hand and they skipped over to the table together.

“I’m gonna sit between you two after last week,” Cheryl said to Vivienne and Divina.

“I have no clue what all of this is about,” Vivienne said softly.

“You were like two boxers,” Baga chimed in.

“We had a few drinks and chatted, you and I,” Vivenne said to Divina.

“I respect what you do Vivienne,” Divina finally spoke up. “And it’s hard to watch somebody else’s actions saying ‘I don’t respect what you do.’ And I gave that too much credence. I gave that too much power ‘cause I shouldn’t give a shit what you think.”

The other queens sitting between them gasped.

“Ding, ding, ding,” Baga made a hand gesture as if he were ringing a bell. “Round two.”

Thankfully, RuPaul entered the room before the conversation could escalate any further. After explaining their mini challenge with no detail at all, RuPaul called in the Brit Crew. Everyone fangirled over them as usual, even Blu.

“Ladykins,” RuPaul said once all the men were lined up. “You have to guess what these handsome chaps are wearing under their shorts.”

Blu had no idea what to think. To him, that could mean a million different things, some of which are not suited for television. Once it was explained that they would be guessing the types of underwear, or lack thereof, Blu felt no better at all about the mini challenge. He didn’t want Crystal to watch it once the show premiered and think that he’d forgotten about him overnight.

When it was his turn, Blu totally flopped at the mini challenge. He had a hard time focusing and didn’t get any of the answers right. Divina won the mini challenge, and Blu was just thankful for it to be over. Divina won a phone call with Katya for tips on the competition.

Next, RuPaul informed them that for their main challenge they would have to create and market their own brand of bottled water. Blu wasn’t sure what he was going to do. He ended up spending a lot of his time trying to comfort Cheryl. When RuPaul came in to check on them, Blu got nervous. He wasn’t very confident in his idea, and it didn’t help that RuPaul didn’t like it.

During filming for the water commercials, everyone seemed to love Blu’s performance. He was quite proud of himself as well. He went into it expecting to flop, but everyone’s reactions made him feel much better. However, after seeing everyone else’s, Blu started to feel like his was terrible.

“Mine’s so shit,” Blu whispered to Cheryl. 

“No it wasn’t shit,” Cheryl whispered back

“Compared to them and yours…” Blu trailed off. 

Cheryl shook her head and took Blu’s hand in her own. “No.”

~~~

That night in his room, Blu sat on the edge of his bed and held his head in his hands. He wished that Crystal were there to comfort him. He needed something, even if it were just a text or phone call. Blu knew he couldn’t have that either because they weren’t allowed to have their cell phones during the competition.

Blu lay back on the bed and sighed. He was finding that missing someone he loved was harder than a breakup. He could hardly sleep or eat. All he wanted was to be with Crystal. With a breakup, he could just move on, but being away from Crystal meant he was stuck in a constant state of missing him until he could go home. Between missing Crystal and his insecurities about his performance, Blu was starting to give up.

~~~

As they made their way into the workroom the next morning, the queens performed a short dance that they had come up with. Blu was feeling slightly better, but he still really wanted to go home and be with Crystal. He had a few conversations with the others at the mirror, but otherwise the day went by in a blur. Before he knew it, it was time to go out onto the runway.

Blu’s runway outfit featured makeup that looked like tears. It was very fitting for the way he felt in that moment. Other than the tears, it was pink and very bright. To him, it was representative of the fact that he was using his bubbly personality to cover up his sadness.

The judges like Blu’s commercial, but they didn’t like his as much as they liked the others. However, they absolutely loved his runway. He knew that wouldn’t be enough to keep him out of the bottom two. He didn’t dare mention that in Untucked, especially since they were way more focused on Baga giving up.

Baga very much expected to be in the bottom, and everyone was shocked to hear that he was safe. The bottom two ended up being Blu and Cheryl, and Blu immediately knew he was going home. At this point in the competition, he was at peace with that. He made it to the top five and he was proud of himself for that.

Even though he knew he was going home, Blu fought hard to stay. He didn’t give up like Baga was planning to do. The space buns in his wig came undone, which he figured would send him home for sure. He ended up being right. His emotions finally started to overwhelm him and tears slowly ran down his cheeks as he was asked to sashay away.

Blu wasted no time packing his things. He was sad that he didn’t win, but he was excited to leave. He hoped that there would be a text from Crystal as soon as he got his phone back.

~~~

Crystal sent a hello text to Blu as soon as he settled back in at home. He knew that Blu was doing fairly well in the competition, so he wasn’t expecting to hear anything from him soon. To him, Blu had what it took to make it to the top three.

By the next night, Crystal had a new text message. No one knew he was home except for the other contestants, so he knew it could only be one person. Blu. 

**Blu: ** _ Just got my phone back. I’m on my way home. _

**Crystal: ** _ I wasn’t expecting to hear from you so soon. _

**Blu: ** _ Everyone in the competition is so amazing. I did well in the challenge and still managed to get sent home.  _

**Crystal: ** _ I’m glad to hear from you regardless. I missed you. _

**Blu: ** _ I missed you too! So much that I haven’t slept much the last two nights. I miss sleeping next to you. _

**Crystal: ** _ We’ll sleep next to each other again soon. Let me know as soon as you’re home. We’ll work something out. _

**Blu: ** _ I will. It’s late, so I’ll check in with you tomorrow.  _

**Crystal: ** _ Goodnight, my love. _

**Blu: ** _ Goodnight _

Crystal couldn’t help but smile. He truly had missed Blu, and he couldn’t wait to see him again. He lay his phone down on his nightstand and took a deep breath. He was so happy that he could finally reconnect with his boyfriend. He closed his eyes and fell asleep almost immediately.


	7. Chapter 7

Blu rolled his suitcase through his front door with a sigh. Up until this point, he had been running on the adrenaline of being in the competition. Now that he was home, he was absolutely exhausted. However, he was still anxious to see Crystal again. The whole experience seemed like a fever dream to him and he needed to see Crystal face to face before he could fully believe it was all real.

**Blu:** _I'm home. I'm exhausted, so I'm going to bed. I'll text you in the morning to talk about meeting up._

**Crystal: ** _ Goodnight I hope you feel better in the morning _

**Blu: ** _ Goodnight _

As soon as his head hit the pillow, Blu fell asleep.

~~~

When Blu woke up the next morning, he noticed a text message notification on his phone. It was from Crystal.

**Crystal: ** _ Good morning babe _

**Blu: ** _ Good morning! _

**Crystal: ** _ I'm going to come to you. You're tired from the competition and traveling back home. _

**Blu: ** _ Are you sure? I can come there _

**Crystal: ** _ You just rest and stay in bed. Send me your address so I can uber from the airport. _

**Blu:** _Alright. Travel safe, my love_

Blu sighed contentedly and smiled. He couldn't wait to see Crystal again.

~~~

Crystal walked into the airplane and quickly found his seat. He sat down and he couldn't help but smile. He was thrilled to be on his way to Blu, and it almost seemed too good to be real. Crystal thought he would be too hyped up to sleep, but he ended up falling asleep not long after the plane took off.

Crystal jerked away when the plane was landing, not even realizing he'd fallen asleep. After a few seconds, he remembered where he was going and a sensation of pure excitement overtook him. He all but ran to the baggage claim. He couldn't wait to get out of the airport and on his way to Blu. As soon as he grabbed his bag, Crystal pulled out his phone and ordered an Uber. Once it arrived and he was inside, he switched over to his texting app to let Blu know he was on the way.

**Crystal: ** _ I just got into the Uber. I'll be there in a few minutes. _

**Blu: ** _ I'm so happy you're almost here! _

**Crystal: ** _ Me too, baby. I'll let you know when I'm outside _

Crystal could feel his stomach doing backflips as he got out of the Uber. He thanked the driver and rolled his suitcase up to the building. 

**Crystal: ** _ I'm downstairs standing outside _

**Blu: ** _ I'll be down in a second! _

Crystal waited anxiously for Blu to appear. They hadn't seen each other since getting eliminated from the competition, so this visit would be their first step to bring their relationship into the real world. Crystal was both nervous about it and overjoyed.

"Colin!" Crystal heard a familiar voice yell and looked up to see Blu running towards him. Crystal let go of his suitcase and caught Blu as the smaller man jumped into his arms. Blu immediately pressed their lips together. He'd missed his boyfriend more than anything and was happy to be with him again.

"I missed you so much," Blu said against his lips. "I can't believe you're actually here."

"I missed you too," Crystal said with a smile as he pulled away. "Let's go ahead inside. We have plenty of time for everything."

"How was you flight?" Blu asked.

Crystal grabbed the handle of his suitcase and headed towards the apartment building. "I fell asleep and managed to sleep through the whole flight, so it must've been really smooth."

"I'm glad to hear it," Blu smiled and opened the front door for Crystal.

"What floor are you on?" Crystal asked.

"Just the second, thankfully," Blu said. "We don't have an elevator, but being on the second floor isn't too bad when you have to take the stairs. I'd rather be there than one of the higher floors."

Crystal laughed. "Especially being a drag queen and having to walk down the stairs in heels to go to a gig."

"Or back up the stairs coming home from a gig," Blu giggled. 

"I couldn't imagine being on the top floor and trying to climb back up after a show," Crystal shook his head.

"This is my apartment right here," Blu said, stopping in front of the door. He quickly unlocked it and stepped inside, holding the door open for Crystal.

"Where can I put my luggage?" Crystal asked once Blu shut the door behind them.

"You can just roll it right on into my bedroom," Blu headed towards the bedroom. "It's back here."

Crystal rolled his suitcase into the bedroom and turned back to face Blu. "What do you wanna do now?"

"Come sit on the bed with me," Blu sat down and patted the spot next to him. Crystal made his way over and joined his boyfriend on the bed.

"Isn't this nice?" Blu asked. "We get to spend together without the pressure of the competition."

"Yes it is," Crystal leaned over and pressed his lips against Blu's.

"Can I be honest with you, Colin?" Blu took Crystal's hand in his own.

"Go ahead," Crystal looked into his eyes and smiled.

"I think I'm in love with you and that scares me to death," Blu admitted. "I don't normally believe in that kind of thing, but I can't deny how you make me feel."

"Wow, I didn't think you could make me smile this big," Crystal blushed a big, his smile only growing.

"How do you feel?" Blu asked nervously.

"I love you too."

"Really?" Blu looked into his eyes.

"Of course I do, Joshua," Crystal kissed Blu's forehead. "Under normal circumstances it might be too soon to say so, but being in that competition environment speeds things up because we were forced to be around each other for long hours every day."

"I'm so relieved that you return my feelings," Blu took a deep breath.

"You're my angel and I'm glad I met you," Crystal gently squeeze Blu's hand. 

Blu smiled brightly and lay his head on Crystal's shoulder. He couldn't imagine ever being with anyone else.


End file.
